fabricate

verb

fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-bri-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating

transitive verb

1
a
b
: to make up for the purpose of deception
accused of fabricating evidence
2
: construct, manufacture
specifically : to construct from diverse and usually standardized parts
Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic parts.
fabricator noun

Examples of fabricate in a Sentence

Only the largest parts were fabricated at the factory. Their plan is to fabricate the house out of synthetic materials. a story fabricated to sell magazines She was accused of fabricating data.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To address this, the team used flexible 2D materials and a modular integration approach, fabricating 2D circuits on CMOS substrates and connecting them via high-density monolithic interconnections. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025 To observe the quantum mechanical motion of this macroscopic phase variable, the three scientists fabricated a device called the Josephson junction, which consists of two pieces of superconductors separated by an insulator layer thinner than 1/10,000 of a human hair. Zhixin Wang, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025 In these cases, the model may attempt to fill in the missing pieces with its best approximation, which can result in inaccurate or fabricated details. Angela Yang, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025 The sequence that ends in her abduction and killing is entirely fabricated by the show. Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fabricate

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fabricaten, borrowed from Latin fabricātus, past participle of fabricāre, fabricārī "to fashion, shape, construct," derivative of fabrica "process of making something, craft, art" — more at fabric

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fabricate was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fabricate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fabricate. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

fabricate

verb
fab·​ri·​cate ˈfab-ri-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating
1
2
: to make up in order to deceive
fabricated evidence to support her claim
3
fabrication
ˌfab-ri-ˈkā-shən
noun
fabricator noun

Legal Definition

fabricate

verb
fab·​ri·​cate ˈfa-brə-ˌkāt How to pronounce fabricate (audio)
fabricated; fabricating

transitive verb

: to make up (as testimony) with an intent to deceive

intransitive verb

: to make something up with an intent to deceive
there was a motive to fabricateGary Taylor

More from Merriam-Webster on fabricate

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